GLAMORGAN director of cricket Matthew Maynard insists the county will provide a pitch fit for the Ashes despite seeing his side penalised for poor playing conditions at Cardiff last week.

An ECB pitch panel was convened after the umpires reported the surface used during the Friends Provident Trophy match between Glamorgan and Essex, a little over seven weeks before the first Test against Australia.

The hosts were skittled for 124 in that match as Pakistani leg-spinner Danish Kaneria returned 4-16.

With the Ashes opener set to get under way on July 8, the verdict of pitch liaison officers Mike Denness and Tony Pigott that the wicket was “poor” and offered “excessive turn” is far from welcome, but Maynard is convinced any teething problems with the square will be at an end by then.

Len Smith retired as the county’s groundsman last September, to be replaced by former Leicestershire man Keith Exton, and former England coach Maynard believes the latter has the expertise to turn out a fine five-day wicket.

Maynard, whose team have been handed a two-point fine held over until the 2010 competition, said: “I’ve played on a lot of wickets worse than the one we used last Tuesday and they haven’t been marked as poor.

“It was a shame and we are going to wait now and decide whether we want to appeal the decision.

”All I can say is that I was very surprised to see a wicket like that marked as poor.

“The inspectors came down on Friday when we played Lancashire, and the pitch was marked as above average and it played just fine. The only other match we’ve played at the ground this season was a four-day game against Derbyshire and that was what I’d call a good wicket.

“Obviously we haven’t played on the Test wicket at all but the ground looks an absolute picture, the pitch looks fantastic and I’m sure Keith will get the Ashes strip just right. He’s a very experienced groundsman and he knows exactly what he is doing.

“I can’t see there being any issues whatsoever before the Test match.”

There has been sustained criticism of the decision to hand Glamorgan such a high-profile match for what will be the first Test at the ground, with Australia legend Shane Warne branding the decision to do away with the traditional series opener at Lord’s “a disgrace”.